Beverage Container Carrier

ABSTRACT

A beverage container carrier comprises a handle and a plurality of compartments, each compartment adapted to contain at least one beverage container. The handle has a longitudinal axis and defines a central plane which when carried is orientated substantially vertically. Each compartment is disposed relative to the central plane such that a longitudinal axis of the beverage container located in a respective compartment is disposed at an angle to the central plane.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a beverage container carrier having a carrying handle and a plurality of compartments, each adapted to contain a beverage container, in particular a bottle. The invention has been developed especially, but not exclusively, for use in sporting events to carry team's sports bottles and is herein described in that context. However, it is to be appreciated that it is not limited to that use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common at indoor and outdoor sporting events to see a person such as a team coach or trainer running onto the playing area with a carrier adapted to hold a plurality of bottles of water or other sports beverage. Such carriers typically have a handle and an even number of compartments arranged in pairs with one compartment of each pair on either side of the central plane in which the handle is mounted. Typical carrying devices include 4, 6 or 8 compartments, each containing a single bottle.

Most available bottle carriers are manufactured using steel wire. Once fully manufactured, the wire skeleton of the bottle carrier is coated using plastic resin. The coating of the wire offers a degree of rust prevention and some protection to the user. Such bottle carriers, especially when used outdoors, are subject to attack from UV light and other damaging conditions. The products are periodically made wet and then dried out, and suffer considerable physical damage during use and transportation. The polymer coating, which naturally has a low mechanical strength, is further weakened by such tough conditions and begins to crack and peel, leaving the wire partially exposed. This renders the bottle carrier difficult to clean and the exposed wire begins to rust, particularly at corners, creating a risk of injury to the person carrying the bottle carrier and to the athletes collecting bottles from the bottle carrier.

Existing bottle carriers typically can only take one size of bottle and when fully loaded can deform under a relatively low load making it difficult for the user to carry it comfortably.

Bottle carriers are often carried at speed, as it is desirable for coaches and trainers to run onto and off the sports field with minimal disruption to the game. It is therefore desirable for bottle carriers to be ergonomically designed to be easily carried at speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a beverage container carrier comprising:

a handle arranged along a longitudinal axis and defining a central plane which, when carried, is orientated substantially vertically;

a plurality of compartments;

wherein each compartment is adapted to support at least one beverage container such that, when carried, a longitudinal axis of the at least one beverage container is disposed at an angle to the central plane.

Because, when carried, the beverage containers are inclined to the central vertical plane, the carrier has a lower profile than one in which the bottles are supported vertically. This means that, when full, the carrier is more easily carried, particularly at speed.

In a particular embodiment, the compartments each include a base, an opening opposite the base and a compartment wall extending between the base and the opening, wherein the opening is disposed above the base and is disposed outwardly from the base relative to the central plane. The compartment wall may be a substantially open structure, made from mesh or web material or the like, or may be solid or partially solid.

In a particular embodiment, the compartments are arranged such that, when carried, each beverage container is disposed such that a top end of the beverage container, where the opening is located, is disposed upwards and angled away from the central plane. It is generally preferable for the top end of the beverage containers to face upwards and outwards for ease of access and prevention of leakage. However, there are possible advantageous arrangements wherein the containers face downwards. For instance, if the bottles have a tapered shape at their top ends, then a row of bottles on either side of the handle may be staggered and arranged such that the top ends of the bottles cross over to provide a compact packing arrangement.

In a particular embodiment, each compartment is constructed to entirely surround the sides of a beverage container. This minimises movement of the beverage containers during carrying of the carrier.

In one form, the compartments are arranged in two rows, one disposed on each side of the central plane.

The two rows may be staggered with respect to each other, but preferably the compartments are arranged symmetrically on either side of the central plane, with the compartments in each row aligned.

In one form, the carrier comprises two sections, each comprising one row of compartments. Preferably, the two sections are identical. The handle could be formed as a separate part, but preferably each section comprises a part of the handle.

In a preferred embodiment, the carrier is constructed entirely of two identical halves which can be joined by snap-fit connectors.

In a preferred embodiment, the sections are, when separate, stackable. Therefore, when disassembled, the sections of the carriers are easy to store and transport.

In one form, each compartment is dimensioned to hold a beverage container of a first size, and comprises a support portion proximate a base of the compartment. In one form the support portion is in the form of a collar which is dimensioned to surround a beverage container of a second, smaller, size. Thereby, the beverage container carrier is adapted to carry beverage containers of two different sizes, the support portion providing a support base for the first beverage container and a surrounding support for the smaller sized containers to minimise its movement during transport.

In one form, the carrier is formed from injection moulded plastics. In one particular form, the plastics contains a UV resistant additive. In one particular form, the plastics also contains an anti-static additive. In a particular form, each compartment is formed as an open webbed structure. This means that the outside of each beverage container is easily visible when the beverage containers are in the carrier, so that particular beverage containers, for example those intended for particular athletes, can easily be identified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is convenient to herein describe embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of the drawings and the related description is to be understood as not superseding the preceding broad description of the invention:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a beverage container carrier;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the beverage container carrier of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial end view of the beverage container carrier of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A beverage container carrier in the form of a bottle carrier 1 comprises a handle 2 and a plurality of compartments 3, each compartment 3 adapted to contain and support a single bottle. The handle 2 is positioned in central plane A-A′, which is orientated substantially vertically when the bottle carrier 1 is carried.

The compartments 3 are arranged symmetrically in two rows, one on either side of the central plane A-A′, such that the compartments 3 in each row are aligned. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two rows of four compartments, but the bottle carrier could include four or six compartments arranged in two rows of two or three compartments, respectively. More than eight compartments could be used, but this could make the carrier heavier and more unwieldy to carry.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the compartments 3 are angled such that a longitudinal axis B of a bottle 4 placed in the compartment 3 is inclined at an angle β to the vertical central plane A-A′. A preferred range for the angle β is 15° to 45°, more preferably 20° to 40° and optimally substantially 30°. Because the compartments 3 are tilted away from the handle 2, the handle 2 can be positioned at a lower height without the tops of the bottles 4 obstructing use of the handle 2. The handle 2 is therefore positioned closer to the centre of gravity of the carrier 1.

Each compartment 3 includes a base portion 5 for supporting a bottle 4 positioned in the compartment 3, and base portion 5 includes a collar 6 dimensioned to fit a smaller size of bottle. Support portions 7 are located below the collar 6 to support the base of the smaller sized bottle. The perimeter of the collar 6 provides surrounding support for the smaller sized bottle, reducing movement of the smaller sized bottle in the compartment 3 during carrying of the carrier 1.

The outer portions of the compartments 3 have an open webbed structure including openings 8, which enable labels on the bottles to be visible when they are positioned in the compartments 3.

The bottle carrier 1 is injection moulded from polypropylene, preferably including UV and anti-static additives to protect it from attack from sunlight and to prevent it attracting dust, making it easier to clean. The injection moulding process also means that the carrier 1 can be formed in a variety of colours, such as corporate or team colours. A name plate with the name of the team or sponsor can also be clipped to the outside of the carrier 1.

The carrier 1 is formed in two identical, symmetrical, halves which have been designed in such a way to allow the assembly of reversed identical parts. Each half includes four compartments 3 and half of the handle 2 and the two halves are joined along the central plane A-A′. When separate, the two halves are stackable for easy storage and transportation and to reduce the size of packaging required.

A series of aligning details and snap-in fittings using prongs ensure that when the two halves of the bottle carrier 1 are pressed together via through holes on the mating part, the carrier will stay assembled under normal use. The snap-in fittings are designed for once only assembly and have no non-destructive means for disassembly.

It is to be understood that a reference herein to a prior art publication does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia, or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Variations and modifications may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention. 

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A beverage container carrier having a central plane which, when carried, is orientated substantially vertically, the container comprising: a handle arranged along a longitudinal axis extending in the central plane; a plurality of compartments, each including a base, an opening opposite said base and a compartment wall extending between said base and said opening, each compartment being adapted to support at least a lower portion of at least one beverage container; at least one of said compartments disposed on each side of the handle, wherein the openings are disposed above their respective bases and are disposed outwardly from said bases relative to said central plane so that the opening of the at least one compartment on one side of the handle is spaced from the opening of the at least one compartment on the other side of the handle, and, in use, beverage containers disposed in the compartments have longitudinal axes disposed at an angle to the central plane; wherein the handle is located proximate the compartments and remains accessible when the carrier is supporting beverage containers that have upper portions that project from the compartments as a result of the orientation of the compartments and the spacing between the compartment openings.
 18. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein the compartments are orientated such that, when disposed in the compartments, the beverage containers are at an angle from 15°-45° from the central plane.
 19. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein the compartments are orientated such that, when disposed in the compartments, the beverage containers are at an angle from 20°-40° from the central plane.
 20. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein each compartment is constructed to entirely surround the sides of a beverage container.
 21. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein the compartments are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central plane.
 22. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein the compartments are arranged in two rows, one disposed on each side of the central plane.
 23. The beverage container carrier according to claim 22, wherein the compartments in each row are aligned.
 24. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, further comprising two sections, each comprising one row of compartments.
 25. The beverage container carrier according to claim 24, wherein the two sections are identical.
 26. The beverage container carrier according to claim 24, wherein each section comprises a part of the handle.
 27. The beverage container carrier according to claim 24, wherein the sections are, when separate, stackable.
 28. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein each compartment is dimensioned to hold a beverage container of a first size, and comprises a support portion proximate a base of the compartment, the support portion being in the form of a collar dimensioned to extend about a beverage container of a second, smaller, size.
 29. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein the carrier is formed from a plastic material.
 30. The beverage container carrier according to claim 29, wherein the plastic material contains a UV-resistant additive.
 31. The beverage container carrier according to claim 29, wherein the plastic material contains an anti-static additive.
 32. The beverage container carrier according to claim 17, wherein at least a portion of each compartment is formed as an open-webbed structure.
 33. The beverage container carrier according to claim 29, wherein the carrier is formed in an injection molding process. 